A heavy silence filled the room, as if time itself had stopped.
Saif looked at his mother, then at his brother Abdullah, noticing the seriousness etched on their faces.
He began thinking to himself:
Is this really the time for advice? My mother is giving my brother words of strength, like in the stories… But is this really my mother?
She's always been smart, gentle, and the best person in the world, yet she never spoke with such depth before.
Could it be that, for the sake of the story, my mother suddenly became wise—just to guide Abdullah, the protagonist of this tale?
Is that even realistic? … No, it's not.
Then what if my mother has a hidden past, or some strange power she's been concealing? Even my father acted strangely back when Abdullah was on his deathbed—calm, as though he knew this would happen.
So what exactly is my family?
My brother, the "protagonist" of this story… my mother, saying exactly what he needs to hear at the right time… my father, calm as if he already knew the ending…
Then what about me? What is my destiny, my fate?
Am I just an ordinary person in this family, or do I have something inside me, waiting to be revealed at the right moment?
My family isn't like the ones in typical stories, where the hero's family is slaughtered and he seeks revenge—that's just a cliché.
No… my family feels more like a carefully crafted puzzle.
Well, it doesn't matter. Whether I hold power or not, this is my family. And I'm proud of all of them.
Saif ended his thoughts and looked at them again. His mother and Abdullah seemed locked in a silent duel with their eyes, trying to uncover what the other was hiding.
Abdullah finally spoke, his tone calm, his words deliberate, as though testing his mother:
"What do you mean, Mother, that I need a goal? And why say that I should care about people's lives?
Did you ever say that I wouldn't protect people—or the world?
Do you see me as lost, in need of a purpose?"
She looked at him as if everything he did was nothing more than a forgotten child's game, and replied softly:
"It's the heart of a mother, my son."
[-ـ-]
-ـ-
-ـ-
Abdullah, Saif, and even the System were all dumbstruck, each thinking to themselves:
What nonsense is this? Does she think we're fools?
Yet none of them dared to argue.
In the end, Abdullah and Saif forced a pained smile and said together:
"Yes… it truly is the heart of a mother. Thank you, Mother."
Their mother laughed, delighted that she had teased her sons, but said no more. Instead, she gazed at them with loving eyes, noticing the shock and frustration lingering on their faces.
And quietly—without anyone noticing—she shifted her gaze toward her System.
A notification appeared: Skill unlocked – "Heart of a Woman (Mother's Mode)."
Then she looked back at them, as if every one of their secrets were an open book before her.
Moments later, the doctor entered the room. Not understanding what was going on, he turned to Abdullah and said:
"I'll take you now for your examination. Don't worry—I'll bring him back shortly."
---
Abdullah walked with the doctor down the hospital corridor until they reached the examination room.
The doctor explained:
"Since you, Abdullah, are the heir of an ancient Egyptian god—though we don't yet know which one—and the first of your kind to appear, we must examine you thoroughly.
During your deep sleep, your body was breaking down and regenerating continuously, while your mind worked at an astonishing rate.
We analyzed it: your heart, your body—every cell—was training non-stop.
For the first time in history, this process became visible to the naked eye.
Usually, when someone enters deep sleep, they submit a request and are transferred to a special hospital—for protection during the sleep, for research, and in case they need immediate rescue.
But normally, very little can be observed from outside the body.
With you, however, because your transformation was so fast and powerful, everything became visible.
And because of that, your deep sleep lasted three days, which is shorter than the usual period, sometimes lasts a week or even a month—you awoke unusually quickly."
Abdullah blinked in surprise, realizing he hadn't even asked how long he had been asleep.
The doctor continued:
"Your case is so unique that we're now considering developing a way to make deep sleep more effective and beneficial—for others to grow stronger, just like you."
Abdullah smiled faintly, thinking that perhaps, because of him, humanity—and Egyptians in particular—might one day become stronger.
Inside the examination room, every test was run: vitality, strength, heart activity, brain signals.
All were processed swiftly through the most advanced equipment, and the results showed he was healthier and stronger than before.
The doctor finally said:
"You can head back on your own, Abdullah. I'll stay with the other physicians for more detailed research, and we'll call you again soon."
Abdullah understood that they were immersed in their studies, so he politely excused himself and left.
---
He walked alone down the corridor, appearing calm on the outside.
But inside, he was conversing with his System.
Abdullah: "What do you think about all this? Was my mother truly watching us… or was it really just that so-called 'mother's heart'?"
System: [I think, Abdullah, that I truly am an unreliable system.
Even though I possess the knowledge of Thoth, everything feels both strange and logical at the same time.]
Abdullah wasn't surprised by this answer.
"You're right… It feels like the whole world is racing forward, and nothing around me is ordinary anymore."
System: [I suspect the Author of this story, annoyed by our jokes, turned us into side characters.
But in reality, we are main characters.
The Author presents other characters in the best possible light, making them shine, while you—nobody sees you as their favorite.]
-ـ-
Abdullah froze.
"That's true… and strange.
It feels like I'm nothing more than a vessel—someone who carries others' stories, making them shine.
The world doesn't revolve around me.
I revolve around the world, just to make it appear brighter.
Is this how Set felt—when he twisted the world into darkness, only to make himself the final hero in the end?
It's a disgusting, unsettling feeling."
System: [But now that you've found a goal—and something in your stats has shifted—this means the Author isn't simple.
He's vindictive.
So let's just laugh quietly… and mock him in return.]
Abdullah sighed:
"Yes… We truly are unreliable—a system and its host.
We don't look like a hero and his companion at all.
Even if we're jesters, we'll play our roles better than that.
Still… I can't help but feel my role shrinking."
The System sighed as well:
[Is surviving in this world, earning your daily bread, really this difficult? I suppose I'm just an ordinary system after all.]
Both Abdullah and his System sighed together, comforting one another.
And the scene closed with Abdullah walking slowly, burdened with disappointment.
---
Elsewhere, in a frozen land…
A group of people fought against a monster.
Their faces shone with joy, certain they were about to win—
but suddenly, something changed.
The monster grew stronger, unnaturally, overwhelmingly.
Panic filled their eyes as they shouted:
"We need help, now!"
---
Next Stop: Battle in the Ice
------
Hello everyone, and as usual, if you liked the chapter, tell me your opinion. And if you have any advice, ideas, or questions, tell me and I will answer you.
So, what do you think? Am I really vengeful, or just a normal author? And are the characters slandering me?
The next chapter will reveal good information and new things, and to be honest, it's a challenge for me too. I will write a chapter full of fighting. Yes, I have written about fighting before, but it was small, so I don't really know, but I will do my best.
A word from Al-Seif, the younger brother, to Abdullah: "It seems my family is strange.Am I just going to be an ordinary person in this family? What are your expectations?"